1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to overspray and errant particle control devices, and more particularly, to such a system with a main unit and a remote unit which has multiple configurations to permit use in both accessible and inaccessible areas.
2. Summary of the Invention
Equipment developed to capture and filter contaminants generated in the workplace such as welding fumes, sanding and grinding residue, spraying liquids, such as paint which produce odors, toxic fumes, and volatile organic compounds is well known. The majority of this equipment consists of an enclosure, the enclosure housing a motor, blower and a cone, generating the suction necessary to pull the contaminants through a filtering system, often a series of filters, each filter having a specific function. These enclosures are generally fixed.
Capturing liquid contaminants stands separate from fumes or dust contaminants because they must control toxic fumes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), objectionable odors and wet particles that adhere to the skin, clothing and other equipment in the workplace. For this reason, the area for containment is a booth that will accommodate a car, truck, plane or equipment which prevents aforesaid contaminants into the surrounding environment.
There is a need for a device which is portable, flexible, and treats a wide variety of applications and is unenclosed without presenting harm or danger to the workers or environment. The requirements for this equipment must include an approved method for capturing solid, liquid or gaseous elements including explosive elements. The use of the portable, unenclosed device is focused on the repair, replacement or revamping of devices such as equipment, cars, trucks, planes, military hardware, ships, bridges and the like. The device must also have the capability to be used where welding, sanding and painting (coating) on a smaller scale is being performed, such as small on-the-spot jobs. The capability to evacuate odors and fumes away from the workpiece, no matter where that workpiece is located, is required.
Spraying of coatings, abrasives, and other atomizable substances is a highly efficient way to deliver such substances to a surface or workpiece. A problem encountered is the overpray or errant particles generated by the spraying. This causes environmental issues by placing possibly harmful material into the air. It further endangers the workers spraying the substances, who may breathe the overspray which may be harmful.
This unit is designed for touch-up work or small repair jobs. Often, it is difficult to gain access to the interior of such work-pieces. There is often no viable way to evacuate the overspray, errant particles, fumes and the like from such enclosed areas as inside an aircraft, ship or other large vehicle (bus, train, etc.). This is because the main unit is heavy and bulky and cannot be transported proximal the location being sprayed. By connecting the main unit to a remote unit, one may afford all the benefits of an airborne pollution control device in such an inaccessible or remote location.
The invention is a portable airborne contamination control system with a main unit cabinet and a remote unit. The invention is capable of capturing solid, liquid, and gaseous elements in a single cabinetry which may be adjustable to a variety of applications including the connection to a remote unit. The main airborne contamination control unit is a cabinet including a motor in communication with an air treatment path. The main unit has a variety of configurations enhancing its flexibility. The main unit has the capacity to be connected to a lightweight remote unit. The elongated and flexible duct connecting the main unit to the remote unit may be 50 feet long, its length could be extended by using a higher horsepower motor. The remote unit is highly portable and of a small dimension which permits it to be employed in areas inaccessible to the main unit. The main unit is connected to the remote unit by an elongated and flexible duct. Both the main unit and remote unit have a general cabinet structure with mounting structure designed to receive articulated suction ducts thereon. The articulated suction ducts may be placed proximal a workpiece which is being coated, abraded or treated by spraying. The articulated suction ducts collect overspray, errant particles, odors and fumes and transports them to and through a filter located in the main unit. The filtered air is then exhausted through an exhaust port on the main unit. An elongated duct may be connected to the exhaust port to transport the air to a distant location. The invention permits the main unit to be employed independently on easily accessible locations as well as in conjunction with the remote unit in difficult to reach locations.
By use of the main unit or the remote unit, one may place the articulated suction ducts precisely to the location where the contamination is being generated.
The portable airborne contamination control device with a remote unit basically has two parts. The main unit includes a wheeled cabinet-type housing including a motor-blower, cone, filter, control panels, multiple intake and exhaust ports. The remote unit has a general cabinet-like configuration with multiple intake and exhaust ports. It may be wheeled. The remote unit is in communication with the wheeled housing by an elongated duct.
The main unit includes a housing having a top side wall, a bottom side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a front side wall and a back side wall. The walls define a generally rectangular cabinet with an interior and an exterior.
The interior of the cabinet is separated into a plurality of subassemblies. The first subassembly includes a motor-blower. The motor-blower may be chosen to be any of a variety of sizes (horsepower). In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the motor-blowers may be 1, 1.5, 3 and 5 horsepower. Versions of the invention with motors of greater or lesser horsepower have been contemplated. The instant device shown herein is a 5 horsepower explosion-proof motor-blower. Additionally, a motor cage unit is provided which allows precise alignment of the blower with an inlet cone. This maximizes suction efficiency. Further, it permits an interchangeability of motor and blower sizes to meet different suction needs. When using the remote unit, the energy of the motor is essentially transferred from main unit to the articulatable suction ducts connected to the remote unit. There may be energy losses due to the length of the elongated duct connecting the main unit to the remote unit, however, these may be overcome by choosing a strong enough motor-blower.
The second subassembly may be considered to be a filter housing. The filter housing may contain any of a variety of filters depending on the application the device is being specifically employed for. The motor-blower is in communication with the filter housing. A false bottom is provided proximal the bottom wall. The false bottom permits a power conduit to run from the lower portion of the right side wall to the control panel and then from the control panel to the motor-blower. The false bottom adds structural integrity which would permit the unit to be picked up and moved by a fork-lift, crane, elevator or other lifting device.
The left side wall includes an opening through which a portion of the motor-blower protrudes. The left side wall further includes an opening to permit electrical power for the motor-blower. The left side wall is removably attached to the housing. When the left side wall is removed, the motor-blower may be removed by sliding the motor-blower and its support assembly from the subhousing in which it resides for maintenance. The left side wall further includes a handle mounted on the exterior for pushing the unit. The handle doubles as a storage device for the power cord. The handle extends from the housing a sufficient length to protect the portion of the motor-blower which extends from the exterior of the housing from damage.
The right side wall includes a control panel. A switch may be used on the control panel to turn the motor on or off. The control panel further shows the general condition of the filters, including the life remaining. An overload control is also provided. The right side wall further includes a handle mounted on the exterior for pushing the unit. The handle extends from the housing a sufficient length to protect the control panel from damage.
The bottom side wall includes a plurality of wheels mounted thereto which permits the unit to be easily rolled. The wheels bring the unit off the ground about 5 inches. This would permit the tines of a fork-lift to easily fit underneath the unit. The wheels may be locked in place, securing the unit to a specific location.
The back side wall is a solid and integral wall member.
The front side wall includes a door and an exhaust port. The door is located generally on the right side of the front side wall. The door includes a seal. The door may be opened by actuating a handle. Once opened, access to the filter assembly and the plenum is secured. The exhaust port includes means to mount an exhaust hose thereto. The exhaust hose may be brought to the outside so that any toxic fumes would be transported away from the unit. This exhaust path may safely take the toxic gases, particulates, etcetera to an area acceptable to their disposal and treatment.
The top side wall includes a downdraft access door. The downdraft access door gives access to a chamber which resides beneath the door. Next to the downdraft access door is a first panel.
The first panel may have two or more different configurations. In a first configuration the first panel includes a pair of duct-mounting apertures. The duct-mounting apertures are designed to mate with the articulated suction ducts. The articulated suction ducts include means to permit them to articulate and remain in the position that they are placed. This is the configuration which permits the main unit to operate independently.
In the second configuration the first panel includes a central duct mounting aperture. An elongated central duct is provided. The effective length of the central duct varies with the motor-blower. In the case of the 5 horsepower explosion-proof motor-blower, the elongated central duct has a 10 inch diameter and may be as long as 50 feet. The dimensions of the elongated central duct varies with the horsepower of the motor-blower. The elongated central duct has a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the central duct-mounting aperture by any conventional means. The second end would be connected to the remote unit. This permits the air pollution control unit to operate in generally inaccessible areas.
The first and second configurations may be changed simply by removing and/or changing panels with the appropriate construction. This may be done easily without special tools. By removal of both configurations, an area for spraying right on the downdraft portion of the main cabinet is provided.
A remote unit is provided. The remote unit includes a top side wall, a bottom side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a front side wall and a back side wall. The walls define a generally rectangular cabinet. The right side wall includes a central duct-mounting aperture. The remote unit central duct-mounting aperture is designed to receive the second end of the elongated central duct. The top side wall of the remote unit includes a pair of duct-mounting apertures. These duct-mounting apertures are substantially identical to the first configuration of the first panel. Once again, the duct-mounting apertures are designed to mate with the articulated suction ducts. The articulated suction ducts include means to permit them to articulate and remain in the position that they are placed. It is to be understood that the articulated suction ducts are remote from the main unit in this configuration. The remote unit may be wheeled for ease of movement.
The invention is designed to permit coating, spray painting, or touch-up work to be performed in areas which would be inaccessible to the wheeled housing. The wheeled housing has an approximate weight of 600 lbs. The remote unit weighs as much as 70 lbs. The remote unit is of a much smaller dimension than the wheeled housing and may be independently wheeled or supported by a cart.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system with an independently employable main unit with the capability to be connected with a remote unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system which may be employed in accessible and inaccessible areas.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a first configuration which permits two articulatable suction ducts to be affixed thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a second configuration which permits an elongated duct to be affixed thereto, the elongated duct to be connected to a remote unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a top portion which has a pair of apertures which permits two articulatable suction ducts to be affixed thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the remote unit has a side wall which has an aperture to receive the elongated duct from the main unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable airborne contamination control system wherein the main unit has a top portion which has a plurality of configurations, including a third configuration which includes a downdraft area which permits small items to be treated (sprayed, welded, coated etcetera.) directly on the main unit.
These, together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.